Still coming down off of Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther’ (February 16, 2018) weekend. It was so good that I saw it twice!!! As a person with a disability, I particularly love movies that have a strong message that push the envelope. Dating myself, I rank this movie up to the level of ‘Schindler’s List’. While I loved the original !Star Wars’ movie, ‘Black Panther’ goes above and beyond in teaching across races. It is my hope that Executive Producer, Ryan Coogler, might consider developing a character for a real person with a disability to be involved with the social injustice/technology issues that the franchise may focus on in upcoming sequels.

Perhaps the best summation of the potential of ‘Black Panther’ comes from GQ’s Olive Pometsey. “This film is more than an exercise in diversity for Hollywood, it's a lesson on how to recover and move forward from society's mistakes,” she suggested. “Black Panther isn’t just levelling out representation in Hollywood, it’s inspiring the next generation of real-life heroes, and that’s what makes this film truly magnificent.” Long live the king. Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" tickets are now available: https://fandan.co/2BxwgDf#WakandaForever#RyanCoogler#BlackPanther#BlackPantherMovie

This was one of the deepest lines in the movie! I also loved the #antiwig#antiweave - pro #naturalhairscene - The scene where T'Challa a.k.a. the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) is on a mission with two of his most trusted women. There's Nakia (Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o), a spy for the throne, and Okoye (Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead). The latter is the general who leads Wakanda's all-female secret service known as the Dora Milaje. The Dora are bald, with their heads sometimes painted in geometric designs.

When Okoye goes incognito on a mission, she must, to her disgust, cover her head with a straight-haired bob wig. Dressed to the nines in disguise, all three try to blend in, but Okoye can't help but complain to T'Challa and Nakia about the wig she has to wear. “Looks nice. Just whip it back and forth” Nakia says to Okoye about her wig. "I want you to get this ridiculous thing off my head" responds Okoye!

This may not sound like much of a revolution, but during the scene, Okoye quickly establishes that she's a proud African woman who doesn't have time for European standards of beauty. It's subtle but also powerful.

Danai Gurira really delivers the punchline to this empowering natural hair moment later, when she literally takes her wig and throws it during a fight.

The moment lasts only a few seconds in the film, but it is striking and lasting in its message. Straight hair isn’t bad, of course, but the notion that it is somehow preferable to kinks or curls or a bald head is. Okoye’s wig moment rejects that idea, nonchalantly.